After a discussion with Dumbledore regarding the prophecy and the connection between his mind and his enemy's, Harry found himself pacing restlessly. He had no clue what the future held from this point on. Fear possessed him, Sirius had been seen, would his name be cleared? Voldemort was known to be at large now; Fudge had seen him as well. Rowan would be okay, at least physically. Her scream echoed in his mind, her pain cutting him like the shards of glass that had soared through the air of the Atrium. He awaited news of her arriving to Madam Pomfrey, hoping he could visit as soon as possible.
Would he return to Privet Drive this summer break? If Sirius was cleared, perhaps they could live at the Headquarters at 12 Grimmauld Place. They could be a family, him and Remus and Sirius. Where would Rowan go? She had no family now. She couldn't live on her own at the safehouse, Harry eyeing the portkey token at the bottom of his trunk. Perhaps Mrs. Weasley would allow her to live with them. Remembering the Christmas he had spent with the group, maybe if he and Sirius were to live together, Rowan could live with them too. She could be a part of their hodgepodge of a family.
Ron, Hermione, and their friends were safe. He had gotten them out safely. Scratch that – the Order had gotten them out safely. The anxious cacophony of thoughts continued to sing around the troubled boy's mind. Would they want anything to do with him now? He lead them to their sure deaths over a stupid premonition he didn't think to analyze deeper. Especially Rowan, her mother had died because of his antics. A fact he couldn't shake. Rowan had warned him throughout the journey to save Sirius that it was a trap, she had trusted him, and he had let her down. Her mother was dead because of him, how could he even look at her again?
Someone cleared their throat, and Harry looked up to see Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville lingering in the doorway of the boys dorm.
"Hey mate, how are you holding up?" Ron asked, sitting on the end of Harry's end, the rest of the ground scuffling in the tight space.
"I've been better," Harry's voice sounded bitter, nervous, he tried to shake it.
"Well, someone is asking for you. We were asked to bring you back to Dumbeldore's office I'm afraid." Hermione meekly uttered, bowing her head.
"Is it Rowan?" He asked, feeling anticipation creep in.
"We aren't allowed to see her yet. It's Sirius." Neville said, hesitating to share the bad news that Harry would remain separated from his girlfriend a while longer.
"Great, let's head down then." The Chosen One clapped his friends on the shoulders, trying to slide the mask of control over his face, despite his spiraling mind and anxious body language.
In the office after uttering the name of a candy, Sirius and Remus hugged Harry as he entered the room. The rest of his friends had returned to board their trains home.
"Harry, I'm so glad you're safe," Remus said, squeezing the boy lightly.
"You gave me quite a scare there," Sirius uttered, ruffling the mop of onyx hair on top of his godson's head.
"I'm glad you all are alright," Harry said, his shield slipping and the crumpled shape of grief overtaking his features.
"Everything will be alright," Sirius reassured, pulling his godson back in.
"Speaking of which, Harry, Sirius and Remus are here to ask you some questions," Dumbledore interjected, his eyes tense but remained twinkling.
"Would you want to come live with us at Grimmauld Place, from now on? It's okay if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle, but I felt it was only right to offer again." Sirius' voice held a nervous edge, a slight seasoning of a fear of rejection seeping into his voice.
"Of course, I would love that Sirius."
Harry felt light for the first time in a bit, it seems he had been able to predict this outcome. He nervously pondered if his other prediction would come true as well, that is, his girlfriend loathing him.
"Are we planning something for Aurelia?" Harry hesitated but asked despite the hitch in his voice.
"We will commemorate her with a service, yes, Harry. We are waiting for Miss Rosier to be given a clean bill of health so we can ask her what she wants."
Dumbledore's voice was coated with regret and sadness, a mood that permeated through the air.
"Sirius, can she live with us?" Harry blurted, feeling emboldened by the situation.
"Harry, are you asking if your girlfriend can stay under the same roof as us?" Remus asked, quirking a brow.
"I mean, she hasn't got anyone now, has she? Her only not evil relative is Sirius. It's my fault Aurelia is gone. I didn't mean it quite like shacking up with my girlfriend, I just don't know where she'll go, you can ward our doors, whatever you need to-" Harry stumbled through his words, thrown off by Remus' questioning of his motives.
"Harry, I believe Remus is joking with you, of course we can allow her to stay with us, given we institute some expectations, but we needn't worry about all of that now. She will stay with us." Sirius reassured his godson, gently rubbing his shoulder.
"It's not your fault that Aurelia is gone, Harry. I'm sure Rowan will see it the same way, please don't linger on that for too long. Aurelia was sacrificial in nature and that boy of hers is wicked as they come," Sirius butted in again.
Harry nodded, the weight crushing him again, with Sirius' hand staying heavy on his shoulder.
"C'mon, let's go check on the new occupant of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black," Sirius said, leading his godson and best friend out of Dumbledore's office.
Entering the hospital wing, Harry's hands started to shake, even with the steadying presences of his guardians. He was going to see her, after everything that had happened. He had no clue why he was feeling so pitiful for himself, he was alive, and Aurelia wasn't. He braced himself to see her and found her kind, dark eyes focused on him. There was no malice or anger on her face, just exhaustion and a slight illumination at the sight of familiar faces.
Her chest was bruised and there were so many potions on the hospital end table he could barely see the wood of the table beneath. Her eyes were red rimmed and sunken slightly in her face. She looked tired and slightly pained the closer he looked, but he knew it was from the extent of her injuries versus the current situation she had found herself in.
"Hello Rowan, how are you feeling?" Remus chimed, beaming at the young witch.
"Well, I can say I've felt better, but I'm happy to be alive," she said, wincing after realizing her words.
"I'm glad you're conscious, I was worried I wouldn't get to talk to you for some time," Harry said, smiling the most comforting smile he could manage, still shrinking in slightly at the sight of her injured again.
"It's good to see you again, I was worried I might not get to see you again," Rowan said sincerely, eyes distant.
"Well Rowan, we can leave you and Harry to catch up, you can return to the house with us once you're cleared to go," Sirius said, clapping his hands and leading his childhood friend out of the hospital wing.
She nodded her thanks to the older gentlemen and flickered her eyes back to her boyfriend, "We're gonna live together," she said, smirking.
"A little early in this thing, don't you think?"
"No, I was ready to be with you the second I met you," Rowan said sincerely with utmost certainty.
Harry sat on her bed, taking her small, delicate hand in his. He gently traced the back of her hand, rubbing the smooth skin softly.
"C'mere," she commanded, lifting both arms up, even though a pained look cracked her face.
"Rowan, I don't know if I'm supposed to, I could hurt you," Harry stuttered, fearing the wrath of Madam Pomfrey if he disrupted Rowan's healing.
"I just want to be held," she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Oh sweetheart, please don't cry," Harry said, carefully curling around her frame in the small bed.
"I want my mum," she sobbed, burying her head in his shoulder, "I hate him, Harry, I want him to pay."
"He will, my love, I promise you, I'm so sorry," He assured, lightly running his fingers through her hair.
"Please don't leave too," Rowan begged, something Harry had never heard her do, twisting her fingers in the wool of his sweater.
"Never, I will never leave you, baby." Harry swore, holding her close.
"Harry, I love you."
"I love you too, Rowan. Always."
The witch looked in his eyes, salt still burning in her own. She saw that he meant it. Her fearless Harry, who defended her relentlessly and always made sure she was taken care of and looked after. She attached her lips to his, pouring all her feelings into the kiss. He softly met her lips, cradling her face in his calloused hands. His eyes darted down to the bruises littering her flesh, remembering to be careful with his embrace. They parted, Harry curling her around him, tracing her body lightly.
"Someday, we will live in a tiny house by sea, where no one can touch us, and there'll be no more war, or pain, or suffering," Rowan said, tracing his lips with her fingers.
"I'd like that," He responded, kissing her fingers gently.
"I need to pack my things so we can head to Grimmauld Place," she uttered, thinking about leaving the bed, causing anxiety to rise in her.
"We've got time, Ro, there's no rush," Harry assured, pecking her forehead delicately.
"I just need to be moving, I'm going to be taking potions for a while after that hit, if I lay in bed any longer, I'll just cry and feel sorry for myself."
Once Madam Pomfrey cleared the injured witch, helping her dress in her uniform, sending her with a trunk full of potions and lecturing Harry, Sirius, and Remus on how to care for her, Harry and Rowan returned to their quarters to pack their belongings. Harry found himself in the Slytherin girls dormitory, a place he had yet to be. With everyone gone, he didn't have to fear her housemates' sneers or curses. Often, Rowan snuck to his dormitory, much to Ron and the rest of the boys' annoyance in the mornings. He helped her make the forest green bedding and lifted any objects he could for her, urging her to sit down and tell him what to collect for her.
Harry opened her drawers, blushing lightly as he quickly packed her clothes for her, hands lingering slightly too long on her undergarments, with Rowan tapping him on the knee as he stuffed her knickers in the trunk. He cleared his throat and continued to empty the drawer until his hand hit a bottle, the glass noise resounding through the room as it was rolling around in the hollow, now-empty drawer. Curious, Harry held it up to look at it with Rowan grunting and reaching for it.
"A.. Servare potion… what's this, Rowan?" He asked, sounding out the potion name.
"It's contraceptive, Harry."
If her knickers had made him blush, her stating that made his face light up like the flame from a dragon, her face slightly amused and matter of fact.
"Uhm, why?" This was not a discussion he planned on having with her now. Naturally, Harry was a young man, but like his previous conversation with Sirius, he had planned on delaying such things until the future, it wasn't a lie. To say he hadn't thought about it would be a lie, but he was cautious around Rowan. They hadn't discussed this part of their relationship. He knew her history with her father's peers, he didn't feel it was right to introduce the subject until she had made those moves. Sure, they shared a bed often and were enamored with each other, but their relationship had always been chaste and innocent.
"My… mum gave it to me after break, apparently her and Sirius had a chat after they caught us all snuggled up Christmas Day. They think we're um… y'know?" She stuttered.
"Shagging? Sirius spoke with me about it around then."
"Well, simply put, yes. She wouldn't let me leave without taking it. I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean for you to find it and I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable, it's not an insinuation of anything at all."
"It doesn't make me uncomfortable, Rowan. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable with the subject in the first place, I know it may be sensitive for you, especially with everything that has happened in your past, that's why I've never brought it up. I never want you to feel unsafe with me. I hope I've never made you feel that it is something I expect from you, I'm happy with how things are."
"Harry, you're not like that. I know you, I know your heart. You're too good at times. I think it is good to have just in case, especially now with us living under the same roof."
"You mean – you might want to?" Harry spluttered, his eyes nervously tracking any microscopic movement on her face.
"Well, I mean, yes, Harry, isn't that the whole point of our relationship at some point? I love you, I find you attractive, it's just another way to communicate that between us, whenever we are there."
"I guess so, I've just never-, I mean I know my mates have, but like I said, you mean a lot and I didn't want to make you uncomf- "
"Harry, love, I know. You couldn't possibly hurt me or make me uncomfortable. There is no pressure here, it's just a precaution in case. We could wait until we're grey and I'd still be happy to be with you."
Harry cleared his throat and continued to pack away her belongings, trying to distract his brain from the subject of their conversation. Rowan wanted to sleep with him. She trusted him enough to share that with him. His friends boasted about getting with witches on the weekends, typically after their Quidditch parties. Harry heard their conversations and laughter regarding whatever girl they had given attention, getting replays of whatever had transpired. Once Harry had a girlfriend, people had begun assuming that he was doing the same. It was different for Harry, the idea of being that vulnerable with someone held a certain value to him, especially the trust it meant someone was vesting in him. Rowan was special to him, and he didn't want to muck it up.
Hands wrapped gently around his chest, freezing him in his place. He closed the trunk and locked it.
"You're in your head, love, talk to me."
Harry turned facing his girlfriend, spotting the bruising blooming across her flesh.
"I was just thinking about how much I care about you and how scared I am of messing things up."
She captured his chin in her small hand.
"Darling, you can't mess anything up. We're kind of mad about each other, don't you know? Like we talked about, everything will happen as it should, in its own time. There's a lot going on right now, we're both probably too overwhelmed to even talk about this."
He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, grateful for her understanding of his panic.
Harry grinned, "Maybe we can drop it in front of Sirius and he'll let us share a bed."
She chuckled lightly, wincing from the pain radiating from her chest, but enjoying the good-natured jesting of her boyfriend.
Harry carried their trunks down to Dumbledore's office, meeting their caretakers there to go to their new home. He kept his arm around Rowan's waist, guiding her as she leaned into him for support. Her clinging to him was new, but he reminded himself without her mum, this world was new for her. Her mum would had laid down her life for him. The guilt crept back in as he looked over at her, making out the words service and flowers as Rowan spoke to Dumbledore.
"Let's go home, shall we?" Sirius said.
The group swarmed into the fireplace and found themselves in the living room of 12 Grimmauld Place. With a flick of his wand, Remus levitated the trunks of the new young occupants into their respective rooms. Harry breathed lighter, even in the dense air of Grimmauld Place, no more Dursleys. His eyes flickered to Sirius, relieved to see the cerulean depths of his godfather's eyes, a free man now. Looking to his right, he could see the exhaustion setting itself in the lines of his girlfriend's face.
"Bed time for you, huh?" Harry said, supporting more of her weight with his arm.
"No, I've slept forever it feels like," Rowan uttered, a slight slurring to her words.
"Rowan, rest is the best medicine, I assure you," Remus lightly chided, "Tonks will be here later, so you can escape some of the testosterone then, but for now, you need your sleep."
"Agreed," Harry said, pulling her up the labyrinth of staircases, supporting her weight on his athletic, Quidditch-shaped build.
"Sirius, Remus, thank you all again, for everything," she called with a yawn, letting her boyfriend guide her.
Harry unpacked her trunk into the chest of drawers in the dark bedroom, sorting the clothes how he knew she'd had them organized at school, as well as clearing any dust from the room and fluffing her pillows.
"Enough of this uniform," she murmured, cringing as she pulled at her tie.
Harry found a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a shirt for her, placing it on the bed and preparing to leave the room to grant her privacy.
"Harry, can you please help me change?"
Redness took over his face, "Rowan, I don't think that is the best idea."
"Please Harry, I can't ask Sirius or Remus, I'd be absolutely mortified. I can't really bend down or put my arms over my head yet, at least for now."
"I'll close my eyes," Harry said, promising to retain the self-control that she had almost stripped from him with their conversation earlier, a conversation that was still pinging around his brain, creating a deep wanting and wonderment for his girlfriend. He pressed the door shut carefully, the creaking magnified as he gulped nervously at the thought of touching her skin, reminding himself she was injured, that this wasn't some seduction tactic, but a cry for help and support from a situation he had put her in.
"No need, Harry, you'll see it all eventually," she teased, but he could see the nervousness in her face as well, mixed with the haunting emptiness of grief and confusion that he had seen swimming around her eyes since they met his in the hospital wing.
Bending down to remove the loafers from her feet, Harry put the shoes under the bed, looking up at the woman he so deeply cared for. Harry's warm, shaking hands slid up her slender sides, tugging at the hem of her grey and green cardigan, gently unbuttoning the fastenings in the front, easing her arms out of it without disturbing her too much, pilling it with her since removed tie. His hands made quick work of the buttons on her white dress shirt, breathing a little heavy as he had never seen her without such a covering. He watched her swallow hard as he removed the blouse, meeting her nervous eyes, quickly diverting his.
"Doing okay, still alright with this?" He asked and she nodded, mustering her typical proud confidence.
He directed his eyes down, feeling around the skirt for the hook and zipper, her hands interrupting his and guiding them to the spot in the side of the garment. He pulled it down, the material pooling by her feet, met with the grey tights she often frequented. Hooking his fingers in, he gently helped her sit on the bed, rolling the spandex down her legs and collecting the clothes to go with the rest of her uniform. Kneeling by her bedside, Harry dared to look.
The silken skin was purpled and blackened across her cleavage and sternum, bruising cracking across her chest and shoulders like lightning, parts of the storm concealed by the triangle, cotton brassiere holding her in. The sight saddened him, she was hurt and here he was, subconsciously using the opportunity to check her out. He felt ashamed, dipping his head down while he grabbed the comfortable garments he had laid out, quickly dressing her. Tonks would be here most of the time to help until she healed, he reminded himself. Pushing himself to his feet, he planted a soft kiss against her forehead and unmade the bed, pulling the covers back for her.
She patted the bed next to her, "Join me, Harry."
"Ro, I don't know how Sirius and Remus would feel about it."
"Harry, please, I just want you to hold me. I just don't want to be alone."
Harry sighed and slid into the double bed, cursing in his own head about the potential of already violating some not yet imposed boundary of their new guardians. She curled into his chest like any other night, her legs trapping his jean-clad ones. She lightly kissed his Adam's apple and nuzzled her nose against the flesh between his shoulder and neck, breathing out and reaching her hand up to rest on his chest. Maybe if Harry brought up the potion locked away in her trunk, Sirius would let them share a room like this every night, especially with his girlfriend's current mental state.
"I love you Rowan."
"And I love you, Harry."